The Azure Shadow Forest was nothing like the students had imagined. Stretching for miles, its trees towered into the sky, their twisted branches casting an eternal gloom over the forest floor. Strange bioluminescent plants glowed faintly, providing an eerie, shifting light. The air was thick with tension, every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig setting hearts racing.
Li Feng tightened his grip on the spear provided by the academy. It was basic, barely more than a sharpened pole, but it was better than nothing. Zhu Yan walked beside him, his fiery aura faintly visible, while Xu Mei brought up the rear, her Mirage Blade shimmering faintly in the dim light.
"Stay close," Li Feng murmured. "The forest is too quiet."
Zhu Yan snorted. "You're too paranoid, Feng. It's just a bunch of trees."
Before Li Feng could reply, a low growl echoed through the forest. The group froze, their weapons at the ready.
"Not just trees," Xu Mei whispered, her eyes scanning the shadows.
From the underbrush emerged a creature unlike any they had seen before. Its body was sleek and feline, but its eyes glowed with an unnatural red light, and its claws seemed to shimmer as if coated in liquid metal.
"Shadow Panther, 50 CR" Xu Mei breathed. "Tier-1 Tower beast. Fast and lethal."
A tier -1 beast is the weakest tier beast it have a strength ranging from 40 CR to 60 CR
The panther circled them, its movements fluid and predatory. Li Feng activated his Piercing Sight, focusing on the creature. His ability revealed faint energy trails around its legs and torso, indicating its likely attack patterns.
"It's going to strike from the left," he said. "Be ready."
The panther lunged, a blur of black and red. Zhu Yan reacted first, releasing a burst of flames that forced the creature to veer off course. Xu Mei darted forward, her blade slicing through the air in a precise arc.
The panther snarled as the blade grazed its side, but it recovered quickly, its claws raking the ground as it prepared for another attack.
"Don't let it recover!" Li Feng shouted.
He thrust his spear forward, aiming for the panther's vulnerable flank. The weapon struck true, but the beast's hide was tougher than he had anticipated. The spear barely pierced its skin, and the panther retaliated with a swipe of its claws.
Li Feng dodged, but not fast enough. The claws tore through his sleeve, leaving a shallow cut on his arm.
"Damn it," he muttered, gripping his spear tighter.
Zhu Yan stepped forward, his hands ablaze. "Enough of this!"
With a roar, he unleashed a torrent of fire that engulfed the panther. The beast howled in pain, its body writhing as the flames consumed it. When the fire died down, only a charred corpse remained.
Zhu Yan grinned. "Told you I've got this."
Xu Mei rolled her eyes. "Don't get cocky. That was just the first."
Li Feng nodded, his expression serious. "She's right. If a Tier-1 beast gave us this much trouble, we'll need to be smarter moving forward."
The group pressed on, their senses on high alert. The forest seemed to grow darker the deeper they ventured, and the faint glow of Azure Crystals in the distance became their only guide.
"Why do you think the academy chose this place for the trial?" Zhu Yan asked, breaking the silence.
"It's a test," Xu Mei replied. "Not just of strength, but of teamwork and strategy. The Tower isn't just about fighting—it's about survival."
Li Feng remained silent, his mind racing. The forest felt alive, as if it were watching them, testing them. His Piercing Sight revealed faint energy fluctuations in the air, patterns that seemed almost deliberate.
"We're not alone," he said finally.
Xu Mei raised an eyebrow. "You mean the other students?"
"Not just them," Li Feng said. "The forest itself... there's something strange about it."
Before they could discuss further, a loud scream pierced the air. The group exchanged glances, their faces grim.
"That came from ahead," Zhu Yan said.
"We should check it out," Xu Mei added.
Li Feng hesitated. It could be a trap, or it could be a student in genuine need of help. Either way, ignoring it wasn't an option.
"Let's go," he said, leading the way.
The scream led them to a small clearing where two students were locked in a brutal struggle. One, a burly boy with a massive hammer, was clearly the aggressor. The other, a slender girl, lay on the ground, her face pale and her arm twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Hand over your crystals," the boy growled, raising his hammer.
The girl whimpered, clutching a small pouch to her chest.
Li Feng stepped forward, his spear at the ready. "That's enough."
The boy turned, his eyes narrowing. "Stay out of this. She's weak. She doesn't deserve those crystals."
"Maybe," Li Feng said evenly. "But that doesn't give you the right to take them by force."
The boy smirked. "And who's going to stop me? You?"
Without warning, he swung his hammer, the weapon whistling through the air. Li Feng barely managed to dodge, the force of the swing kicking up dirt and leaves.
"Zhu Yan, Xu Mei!" Li Feng shouted.
Zhu Yan unleashed a blast of fire that forced the boy to retreat, while Xu Mei darted forward, her blade slashing at his exposed side. The boy roared in pain but remained standing, his hammer swinging wildly.
Li Feng saw his chance. Activating his Piercing Sight, he focused on the boy's movements, predicting the arc of his next attack.
"Now!" he yelled.
Zhu Yan and Xu Mei moved in unison, their coordinated strikes overwhelming the boy. With a final cry, he dropped his hammer and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Li Feng turned to the girl, who was still clutching her pouch. "Are you alright?"
She nodded hesitantly, her eyes darting between the three of them.
"I'm Li Feng," he said, offering his hand. "These are my teammates, Zhu Yan and Xu Mei."
The girl hesitated before taking his hand. "Thank you. I'm Lin Yue."
"What happened?" Xu Mei asked.
Lin Yue's face darkened. "He ambushed me. Said I didn't deserve to be here because my ability isn't combat-focused."
Li Feng frowned. "What's your ability?"
Lin Yue hesitated before answering. "Aura Weave. I can create barriers and manipulate energy flows, but it's more defensive than offensive."
"That's not useless," Zhu Yan said. "A good defense can be just as valuable as a strong offense."
Li Feng nodded. "You're welcome to join us if you want. This forest is dangerous, and we could use someone with your abilities."
Lin Yue looked surprised but grateful. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a burden."
"You won't be," Li Feng said firmly.
As the group prepared to leave the clearing, Li Feng felt a familiar pulse from the Abyssal Nexus. His CS lit up, revealing a new notification:
Warning: High-level threat detected nearby.
Li Feng's heart sank. "We need to move. Now."
The others didn't question him, their trust in his instincts absolute. As they hurried through the forest, the sound of heavy footsteps grew louder behind them.
When they finally stopped to catch their breath, a massive figure emerged from the shadows. Standing at least ten feet tall, its body was covered in jagged, obsidian-like scales, and its eyes burned with a malevolent red light.
"Tier-2 Tower beast,(have CR from 60 to 100)" Xu Mei whispered, her voice trembling. "We're not ready for this."
Li Feng's grip on his spear tightened. The creature let out a deafening roar, its claws carving deep gashes into the earth.
"Ready or not," he said, his voice steady. "We fight."